Therapeutic boot



May 26, 1959 G. K. DE LAMATER THERAPEUTIC BOOT Filed April 4, 1956 7 INVENTOIL EEURBIA K. DE LAMATER BY Mmm' l ATTDRNEY 2,888,016 THERAPEUTIC BOOT Georgia K. De Lamater, Bridgeport, (Zonta. Application April 4, 1956, Serial No. 576,104 3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-26h) The present invention relates to a therapeutic boot, particularly for use in applying medicament to feet, an object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which may be conveniently used either at leisure times, as for instance while the user may be sitting in a living room, or may be used while walking about and pursuing normal household occupations.

A further object is to provide a therapeutic boot in which a relatively large amount of liquid medicament may be contained and which will effectually prevent spilling or splashing of the liquid.

Another object is to provide a therapeutic boot including a resilient absorbent inner sole which, through pressure of the foot applied thereto, causes the medicament to be eiectually worked or massaged into the skin.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the therapeutic boot according to the invention, the position of a foot engaged therein being shown in dot-and-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a rectangular piece of the material of which the resilient absorbent inner sole is formed; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the therapeutic boot, the tying tape as shown in Fig. 1 being removed.

Referring to the drawing, the therapeutic boot, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a boot-like outer body member 10,

preferably molded from exible semi-rigid plastic material, as, for instance, polyethylene, and consisting of a base wall or sole 11 having the general outline of a foot and an upstanding side wall 12, preferably outwardly divergent for the purpose of permitting a number of the body members to be nested for convenient packing and storage. At the heel portion of the wall i2 there is provided an upward extension 13 adapted to be engaged at the rearward side of the ankle for the purpose of securing the boot upon the foot, as will presently more fully appear.

Within the body member there is removably engaged an inner sole member 14 formed of a relatively thick sheet of molded sponge or foam rubber having a series of spaced cylindrical pockets 15 formed at its upper side. The thickness of the inner sole is substantially less than the height of the wall 12, so that when the foot is engaged within the boot the portion of the wall extending above the sole member is disposed about the foot to prevent lateral displacement. At the same time it prevents spilling or splashing of the liquid medicament with which the inner sole is adapted to be saturated.

The boot is adapted to be secured to the foot so that it will be retained while walking about, and for this purpose a tape 16 is threaded through opposite holes 17 in the sides of the wall 12 near its forward end, being then carried through a pair of slots 18 provided in the upper end portion of the extension 13 and looped and tied about the ankle. A plurality of the holes 17 are preferably provided at each side for the purpose of adjusting the position of the tape to suit the particular user. It is pointed out that the extension 13, due to the curvature of the heel portion, is transversely curved and therefore has vertical stability, so that it maintains the position of the loop of the tape about the ankle. Thus the [rearward end of the boot is held in relation to the heel while the forward extensions of the tape engaged through the holes 17 retain the forward end in relation to the toes.

ln operation the inner sole 14 is saturated with a suitable medicament and the foot to be treated is placed within the boot so that it can press upon the inner sole to cause the medicament to be expressed from the porous structure into engagement with the skin. During this action the pockets 15 will become lled with the liquid as the inner sole is compressed and will therefore apply the liquid in full strength more effectively than would be the case if the upper surface of the inner sole were continuous. At the same time the edges of the spaced holes are expanded and `contracted as the foot is pressed upwardly and downwardly so that these edges massage the liquid into the skin.

The tape fastening of the boot permits the user to move about if desired, in which case the walking action serves to compress the inner sole each time the foot is pressed downwardly to thus efectually apply the medicament. If the user does not intend to walk about during the treatment, the foot may simply be placed in the boot without applying the tying tape.

What is claimed is:

l. A therapeutic boot for use in the treatment of foot ailments comprising a medicament container body member formed of exible semi-rigid plastic material and including a sole portion having they general outline shape of a human foot, a continuous side wall portion connected to and extending upwardly from the peripheral edge of said sole portion, and a heel extension portion extending upwardly from the rearward end of said side wall portion, and a freely removable inner sole Within said body member in the form of a sheet of resilient absorbent sponge material of substantially corresponding outline shape to said sole portion having parallel upper and lower planular surfaces and a vertical peripheral side wall surface, its thickness being substantially less than the height of said wall portion whereby its upper surface is spaced substantially below the upper edge of said wall portion and the part of said wall yportion extending above said inner sole is adapted to laterally Isurround a foot engaged with said inner sole, and its peripheral side wall surface being free of attachment to the laterally opposed lower part of said wall portion, whereby downward compressive pressure on said inner sole causes its peripheral side wall surface to be vertically compressed while said wall portion remains fixed.

2. A therapeutic boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the rearward end of said side wall portion and said extension portion are transversely curved.

3. A therapeutic boot as defined in claim 1, further characterized by a tying tape adapted to be connected between said extension portion and the forward end portion of said side wall portion.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,906 Berman Oct. 19, 1948 2,565,751 Birkle Aug. 28, 1951 2,581,864 Kaufmann Jan. 8, 1952 2,584,010 Goffredo Jan. 29, 1952 2,594,024 Hyde Apr. 22, 1952 

